Thread processing reel



Oct. 13, 1953 R. w. STANLEY THREAD PROCESSING REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 9, 1951 INVENTOR R/CHARD W. STANLEY A TTORNEY Oct. 13, 1953R. w. STANLEY 2,654,962

THREAD PROCESSING REEL Filed March 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //vv/vro/?RICHARD W STANLEY ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 13, 1953 THREAD PROCESSING REELRichard W. Stanley,

Rocky River, Ohio, assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation,

Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 9, 1951, Serial No.214,687

8 Claims. (Cl. 34153) vvThis invention relates to thread processingreels, and more particularly to reels through which is circulated aheating medium for drying thread or the like or for the application ofother processing treatments at elevated temperatures.

Reels utilized for drying of thread or for raising the temperature ofthe thread during a processing step while it is temporarily stored onthe reel are generally lubricated with oils or greases that requirefrequent replacement because of the high temperatures involved. Improvedgreases, seals and the circulation of cooling lubricating oils throughthe various reel bearlngs have not overcome the required frequentmaintenance of reels operating at elevated temperatures. Lubricatinggreases are not yet available that can withstand continuous hightemperatures for prolonged periods of time, and where oil isrecirculated the problem of efl'iciently sealing the bearings againstleakage has not yet been satisfactorily solved. The use of circulatingoils also requires additional complicated apparatus such as pumps, oilcooling devices, and conduits. It is, of course, desirable to havebearings within a heated reel that are longwearing and that need littleor no attention, that are self-lubricated, and that will withstandelevated temperatures.

This invention advantageously provides for a reel adapted to transmitheat which includes carbon type bearings that are long lived and thatserve as eflicient seals and that are lubricated by a heated circulatingmedium, e. g. steam, hot water, etc. that is used for heating the reel.The circulating medium, advantageously, also increases the effectivenessof sealing the contacting faces of the bearing surfaces. The bearings,also, provide for a fully enclosed chamber in the thread-storing,thread-advancing reel to be hereinafter described through which theheating medium is adapted to circulate. The bearing material,advantageously, is of impervious graphite, or carbon and graphite,formed and machined into a bearing and as a sealing means.

Such a material is available under the names of Graphitar or Karbate.The material has qualties which no other material heretofore had.

The use of a carbon-graphite material for bearings in a heated reelovercomes the shortcomings of various lubricants, their handling, etc.and other types of lubricating means. Heretofore all antifrictionbearings in heated reels had to be provided with a lubricant, eithergrease or oil, unable to withstand continued elevated temperatures. Theuse of carbon-graphite, however, advantageously replaces standardmetallic bearings and the need for an oil or grease type of lubricant, asmall quantity of the circulating temperature changing medium, e. g.,steam or hot water, used to heat the reel readily provides for thenecessary lubrication.

This invention will be more specifically described in the followingspecification and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents, in plan, a thread storing, thread advancing reelthrough which is circulated a temperature changing heating medium;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the reel of Figure 1 taken acrosslines 22;

Figure 3 is a cross-section of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a section in dimetric projection of one of the reelbearings.

As shown in Figure'l the reel is of a type shown and described in U. S.Patent No. 2,413,217 which comprises a combined plurality oflongitudinally extending bar members l2, l3 of two separate reel membersIt) and II, the bar members of the one reel member interdigitating withthose of the other. The reel members are mounted for rotation about axesthat are offset and askew relative to each other and the rotation of thereel members will advance thread in a plurality of generally helicalturns. The reel members, advantageously, are made of heat transmittingmaterial such as, for instance, aluminum having a high coemcient of heatconductivity.

A heating fluid circulated through the interior of the reel at elevatedtemperatures heats the entire unit with the result that ordinary greaselubricants soon become melted, the seals deteriorate and leak. Animpervious graphite or graphitic carbon hearing, as will be hereinafterexplained, provides for a bearing and a seal when lubricated withsteam-condensate as well as for an indefinitely long life.

The reel is supported by and mounted for rotation about a stationaryhollow shaft it. As shown in Figure 3 there is concentrically positionedwithin the tubular shaft it a tube it. The hollow s'haft l5 and the tubeIt are each adapted for the circulation of a heating medium; the annularspace about the tube It conducts the heating medium out of the interiorchamber ll of the reel member H, and to a bearing 66, and thetube I6conducts the medium to the front bearing Bl. The shaft I5 is supportedin a, flanged sleeve l8 through which it extends. The flange of theabove provides support for the shaft and for the reel when positioned inthe face of 3 a spinning machine (not shown). A reel driving gear [9 ismounted on the reel hub 2| which upon rotation actuates the reel toadvance thread and the like in the form of a helix having a plurality ofspaced turns.

Referring more particularly to Figure 3, reel member I I is supported byand rotates on spaced carbon-graphite type bearings 23 and 24 positionedabout the reel shaft l but within the lengths of the bar members l3 ofthe reel member ll. Each bearing is formed of two elements 25, 26, and21, 28. Element 25 is impressed in the annular wall by a threaded collar3|, while the element 26 is fixed to the reel shaft "-15.

Similarly, the element 21 is secured in the wall 30 by a threaded collar34 and the element 2-8 is on the sleeve 40. being, however. moveablethereon for lateral adjustmentl' The annular bearings 23 and 24 with thecylindrical wall 30 of the reel member form the enclosed chamber IT t ouh h ch there s c culated a tempera ture c anei sh atin A Sleeve 40having rod i xten ion 41, 2 :is positioned abou th r e sh ft 1. heextensions 4!, e bored to nroride passa es 43. .44 tendin into a idionins wi h he o ening 41. 4B in the reel Shaft fihndwith annu ar r elshaft Pa g 59- h inne c r o tube i5. is joined w h the c be 4 by thepassa es 5.2, 5.3.. A temperature changing heating medium such as s ea iio ced hroush the hollow core of the tub It an fro the tu e th u h thepas s .3 5. in o th c amber :11 visiiroodby the end seal n ar on gaphite. bearing 23; 2.4 and the cylindrical al fii soft c reel member11.. The st a i s pbli d hmush an in et at theend f th ree Sha 5., onicoi the st am within the reel chamber condenses andthe condensate flowsonto and lubricatcs the bea ing '23. 24 surfac h exce s condensa e howout or the c amb lth ough the adialpas a cs 4.3,. 4.4 in he rad al ex enion of sleeve 49 n t e annu ar passa 5.0 th tubular shaft 5 an ut th ouh, openin 1- The bearin s A in addi ion toscaling th chamber Ilalso ro dsup o t fo th reel member A! about the he e l member. 1 is also upp rtedby condcn ate luhr ca cdh arings. At one end or the ceiinchibcr 9 andwithi the hub 21 there is,

osi ned the car on raphitc bearing iifljabout.

the ststionaryrccl shaft I5, and atthe other end he b aring i ispositioned in the frontal reel s ct on 1 nd about the reel shaft i5.

Th earing 50 comprises two elements 64 and 5, Th e ement 65 ispositioned about and lose y f tted to the shaft 15 while. the element 4i contained in the nd of the hub 1 orv sleeve an it is maintainedinPosition by being comressed by he lower bearing elementresisting a.

sprin 2- h aring element 65 is provided i h a conden ate passagefidwhichconnects w t a haft opening 69 and with the annular pas a e 59of the rc lshan l5, Mo st t m or n ensa e is hu p ovid d to. thecontacting surfaces of the arin xoess condensate forced uehthe War n ,viian w ll flow into the hub enclosure 19 and therefore it. will beforced out through passages 11 in the wall of hub e a in e m t s continuu y maintained in contact with the bearing element 64 by the expansionspring 12 positioned about the reel shaft l5 and abutting a ring orcollar 13. The spring 12 also tendsto maintainthe front reel bearing 5icompression. Th iront 4 supporting bearing SI of the reel member in alsocomprises two bearing elements 15 and I6. Bearing element 16 ispositioned about the reel shaft l5 while the bearing element 15 iscontained in a recess in the front supporting section 11 of the reelmember Ill. The bearing element 15 presses against the element 16through the expansion forces or the spring 12. 'IlieIbearing I 6 isfixed in position about the shaft abutting the bearing element 26 whichin turn is maintained against movement by the sleeve 40 that ismaintained against displacement by the collar 13. The ele- "menisci thespaced bearing iii are kept in continual compres'sionhy the expansion ofthe spring 1-: acting through the reel member In while the contacting"bearing surfaces are lubricated by stctaru condensatenowing to themthrough passage 19 provided for such a purpose. Continued pressure isexerted against all bearing surfaces through the expansionlof thesprings 46 and 12 positioned about the. sleeve. M and the reel shaft 15.v

The manner of lubrication of the end reel bearings 513,51 is morespecifically shown in Figure 4. The bearing oiEigure i is the. frontreel bearing 6| having component parts 15, 16. The part 18, positioned.on thefshaft'ifi, is lubricated bycondensate from within the tube 15flowing through the condensate conducting passage, 19 which terminatesin a small wellBfl. The. well fioadvan tageously maintains a supply ofthe condensate liquid as a small reservoir which supplies itt a passageilianrltherethroughto between the suriaces'ofthe componentparts 15, '15.The condensate, upon emerging from the passage on, flows into a'slightdepression 84 which alsdacts as a reservoir and alubricant-spreadin means over the two contacting surfaces of thecomponent bearing parts; The. rearbearing is similarly constructedand-lubricated.- The bearings 23, which form the endclosures of thereel'chamber 11 are lubricated directly by the condensate from withinthe chamber itself. But a' small amount of condensate is necessary tolubricate the contacting surfaces of all the bearings. The lubricantalso acts as an excellent seal tc'p'revent the escape'of the'fluid fromchamber l] which fluid is generally under some pressure.

When the gear I9 is driven thereel member l0 drives thereel member itthrough the annular gear 81 'which drive the inner gear 82 positionedwithinthe reel hub 21. The gear M is attached to'the hub 21 by boltsMaud-gear 82 isattached to the reel member 11- by bolts 85;

There is-p'rovided by the aforesaid described bearing construction areel that can be heated: toisubstantiallyany desirable degree for theprocessing of thread and thel-ike and one which does not require" theuse of' any lubricating medium other than the circulating heating fluid]The moisture i'n the" circulating steam, or it hot wateris:used,'provldes for -a'sufliciency of lubrication or the contactingcarbon graphite bearing surfaces. Whenthus lubricated substantially nofriction isexistentbetweenthe two surfaces so hat long life may beexpected.v The illustration.

shows a vreel including .a chamber for. purposes of. storing heathowever. where heat-requirements re w. .01'.;Wh ie.n0ne is required thechamber can be eliminated .andwaterflcan be circulated hrough thereel-shaft Passagescan be readily P ovided thebcarin sirom theshaitconduits. ince thefihaitis stationary and thebearing ele-.-

m s ab utlit also in. the reel escribed, such bea his oomt ho ionnryidestor r eidityof the reel members against the compressive forces of adrying thread with the result that long and consistent quality of dryingthread can be maintained.

While the preferred type of material described herein is an imperviousgraphite, or carbongraphite, a metallic material including graphite, e.g. graphite-bronze, can also be utilized. With metallic bearings thecirculating medium preferably would be an oil solution.

I claim:

1. In a reel through which a temperature changing medium is circulated,a shaft, bearings about the shaft, the bearings load carrying surfacesbeing in continuous sealing contact, said reel rotating on saidbearings, a chamber in said reel, end bearings in said chamber formingendclosures for said chamber, means for supplying a temperature changingfluid medium to said chamber for circulation therethrough, means forexhausting said temperature changing fluid from said chamber, and meansdiverting a portion of said temperature changing fluid to the bearingsfor their lubrication.

2. A reel through which a temperature changing medium is circulatedcomprising, a hollow shaft adapted for the circulation of a temperaturechanging fluid, two reel members in an interdigitating relation mountedfor rotation about said hollow shaft, said reel members havingperipheries of longitudinally extending bar memhere the bar members ofone being interleaved with the bar members of the other, a chamber inone of said reel members, said chamber being connected by passages tosaid hollow shaft, bearings in the ends of said chamber formingendclosures for said chamber and rotatably supporting the reel member inwhich they are included, bearings for the rotatable support of the otherof said reel members, said chamber forming bearings being lubricated bythe temperature changin fluid medium in said chamber, and meansconnecting said bearings of said other reel member with the hollow shaftand with the circulating temperature changing fluid medium flowingtherethrough.

3. A reel through which a temperature changing medium is circulatedcomprising, a hollow shaft adapted for the circulation of a temperaturechanging fluid, two reel members in an interdigitating relation mountedfor rotation about said hollow shaft, said reel members havingperipheries of longitudinally extending bar members the bar members ofone being interleaved with the bar members of the other, a chamber inone of said reel members, said chamber being connected by passages tosaid hollow shaft, carbon-graphlte bearings in the ends of said chamberforming end-closures for said chamber and rotatably supporting the reelmember, carbongraphite bearings for the rotatable support of the otherof said reel members, said carbongraphite bearings having two elementsthe bearing surfaces being inclined and one of said elements being heldagainst rotation, said chamber end-closure carbon-graphite bearingsbeing lubricated by the circulating temperature changing fluid medium insaid chamber, means connecting the carbon-graphite bearings of saidother reel member with the hollow shaft and with the circulatingtemperature changing fluid medium flowing therethrough, and saidcarbon-graphite bearings of said other reel member having a de-=pression in the surface of one of the elements for the accumulation andspreading of a lubricating temperature changing medium between therotating surfaces.

4. In a thread-storing, thread-advancing reel through which atemperature changing fluid medium is circulated, a hollow stationaryshaft, a plurality of bearings about the shaft, the bearings loadcarrying surfaces being in continuous sealing contact, said reelrotating on said bearings, a chamber in said reel communicating withsaid hollow shaft, some of said bearings forming end closures for saidchamber, means for circulating a fluid temperature changing mediumthrough said hollow shaft and into said chamber. means for exhaustingsaid fluid medium from said chamber through said hollow shaft, and meansdiverting a portion of said circulating fluid medium to the bearings fortheir lubrication.

5. In the reel of the character described in claim 1 where thecirculating fluid medium is steam.

6. In the reel of the character described in claim 1 where thecirculating fluid medium is a liquid lubricant.

'7. In the reel of the character described in claim 1 wherein all of thebearings about the shaft are carbon-graphite bearings.

8. In the thread-storing, thread-advancing reel of the characterdescribed in claim 4 wherein all of the bearings about the shaft arecarbongraphite bearings.

RICHARD W. STANLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

